The Deducting Merman
by Boobunny60
Summary: John is a prince of the land and Sherlock is the prince of the sea. Sherlock will give anything to be part of the land world and John needs some adventure in his life. Basically the plot of the little mermaid Sherlock style.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi… it's been a while. I really want to finish my other fic but I think I need some practice because it has been an extremely long time since I've written anything. This isn't beta'd so sorry in advance… **

On a cloudy windy day, on the open sea, a large ship cut through the waters; the wind taking it fast and true. On the ship was a crew of twenty men and a man with scruffy blond hair and an eye for danger whom was their captain. He stood on the ship's railing with only one hand securing him from falling into deep waters. A dog with thick wild heavy white and grey hair stood beside him barking at the open sea. It was a perfect day for sailing and the man and his dog loved every moment of it.

"Isn't this great!" The blond man said, "The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face!" He sighed contently. "Perfect day to be at sea!" The man he was talking to was his long time friend Mike Stamford, whom he had attended school with. Both became doctors yet were opposites.

"Maybe for you," Mike said wiping his mouth after having thrown up his lunch over board. "John Watson, I don't know why I let you talk me in to these things."

"Oh come on Mike!" John smirked, "Maybe we'll see some merpeople."

"What a bunch of nonsense," Mike dejected, "And I can't believe I'm with you looking for something that some old insane homeless man told you about." John hopped down from the ships railing and patted Mike on the back.

"He had an interesting story about merpeople and he did say that if I wanted to see one there have been at least five sightings of the same black haired merman in the last year. If I look long and hard I may be able to spot him"

"You need a hobby mate," Mike sighed.

"What I need is an adventure," John said more to himself then his friend.

:) :) :)

Down in the deep blue there was in fact merpeople and they lived in a magnificent city called Atlantica. It was deep in the dark ocean but the city itself had light that seemed like it came from no particular source. Many merpeople thought the light source came from the magic of their king's trident.

Today was an important day for the King's younger brother Sherlock Holmes. King Mycroft had made sure that his brother got the best violin lessons from the finest teacher in Atlantica, Gregory Lestrade. Today was Sherlock's first performance and Mycroft was extremely excited to see his bother do something productive. Most of the time Sherlock would wonder off from the city and the king would have to send his guards to search for him only to never find him and have to wait for him to come back. Sherlock would never be gone more than a day, but the ocean is a dangerous place and Mycroft often worried. After their parents died it had been his responsibility to take care of Sherlock and the younger Holmes did not make it easy.

A crowd gathered in a large theater in King's castle. Many merpeople swam in excitement to not only see the prince perform but to see him for the first time. Sherlock never made himself known to anyone. Many believed he was just shy but the servants knew it was because most of the time he wasn't even in the city.

Once the crowd had gathered King Mycroft made his presence known by simply gliding with his dark grey tail fin behind him on to the theater balcony as his faithful servant Anthea announced him. She floated on to the stage using her violet tail fin with precision and ease.

"His royal highness King Mycroft," She announced, a row of mermen with horns blew their horns to emphasis importance and the crowd grew in to a cheer. Mycroft simply waved. He enjoyed power but he didn't much care for his people making such uproar. "And presenting the distinguished composer Gregory Lestrade." The people cheered again as Greg with his royal blue tail fin swam on to stage looking a little nervous. He waved and took a seat on the side of the stage knowing he wasn't needed to compose because Sherlock had his own way of doing things. Anthea moved off stage and the lighted dimmed. Greg looked up at Mycroft hoping the king would not become angry with him at Sherlock's absence. A beam of light shined on the shell Sherlock was supposed to be in. Greg knew Sherlock would not be there. He hardly showed up to practice, it was doubtful he'd show up to the actual concert.

The shell opened and just as the teacher expected, his pupil was not there. There were shocked gasps in the crowd and the bright light of the trident burned through the room as Mycroft looked upon the empty stage.

:) :) :)

Sherlock knew where he was supposed to be at this exact moment but he could not bring himself to care. He had sighted a sunken ship the other day and he just had to have a look as soon as possible. He would have explored when he first saw it but it was getting late and he didn't want Mycroft's guards to come poking around.

Sherlock darted fast toward the broken mossy ship, his dark curls floating in the direction of whichever way his head went. His dim soft blue tail fin whipped behind him as he reached a hole in the side of the boat that was a perfect place to enter.

**Sherlock's fin color is supposed to be the color of his scarf; I didn't really know how to describe the** **color. **


	2. Chapter 2

After entering the hole in the ship just big enough for Sherlock to fit he started to explore, not noticing as he entered, that a great white shark had just spotted him. Sherlock drifted slowly though the ship cataloging all he could in his head. There were barrels piled on top of each other along the wall he entered through. They held a black substance that Sherlock could not identify. He knew that it had something to do with the world above, on land, as did the ship.

It is forbidden to interact with humans and just as bad to collect their things. Sherlock wasn't sure why the merpeople had always had rules against it, but it was the duty of every merperson to follow the ancient laws no matter how ridiculous they might be for the sake of the merpeople. Atlantica had always had a philosophy that whatever worked in the past will work now and will work in the future. Sherlock always thought this philosophy was stupid and he knew Mycroft was not partial to it either but out of respect for the ancestors Mycroft upholds the law.

Sherlock pulled out a jar from a small black bag he was carrying. He filled it with the black substance and then returned it to his bag. He would experiment with it later. He carried on exploring, there wasn't much to see, it was mostly broken wood and ripped up cloth. He entered through a hole to a higher level in the ship which had mostly the same things as the lower level but with one difference. There was a shiny metal object in the middle of the room. Curious, Sherlock swam over to it to get a better look. It was a stick with four prongs sticking out of one end. He didn't know what it was, but he placed it in his bag hoping that Mrs. Hudson might.

Suddenly there was a deep whooshing noise and then a moment of silence. Sherlock stiffened in the silence, and then a shark burst in through a window with its jaws wide open ready to feast. Thinking quickly, as he normally did, Sherlock swam down the hole he came from with the shark following and then through the hole he originally entered the ship through. The shark got caught in the room unable to go through the small hole. By the time it could get out of the ship Sherlock would be long gone.

:) :) :)

Mrs. Hudson could always be found on a small island occupied only by an unidentifiable wooden pole that she built her nest on. Sherlock once saw a wooden pole like this on the top of a ship but couldn't be sure what it was for because he never could get a good look. As usual Mrs. Hudson was fiddling about with her nest when Sherlock appeared from the water.

"Oh Sherlock," She said warmly, "I was wondering if you were stopping by today, I do get quite lonely and there's no one around for miles." Sherlock smiled.

"Well, Mrs. Hudson, you deserve a visit now and then," Sherlock spoke warmly back.

"Oh stop that," The seagull tutted, "I know you're just trying to get me to help you identify those human objects you collect, that's the reason you always visit me."

"On the contrary Mrs. Hudson, sometimes it's nice have a reason to go above sea level," Sherlock smiled and Mrs. Hudson gave in to his demands of telling him what his new findings were. Sherlock truthfully did like being above sea level. Every once in a while he would catch sight of ships off in the distance that carried the creatures that intrigued him. It was actually going above sea level when he was a child that he met Mrs. Hudson and learned of humans from her. It was because Mrs. Hudson teaching him of a different world that made life not so boring.

Holding up the jar of black substance Mrs. Hudson took a good look at it. "Well, I have seen this before dear," she said. "I believe I once heard Mrs. Turner from the north saying that her son had come across a human calling it black powder."

"Black powder?" Sherlock wondered. "What is powder?"

"I haven't the faintest," she sighed. Next Sherlock showed her his shiny metal object. The old bird gave a squawk of excitement. Pleased with this response Sherlock handed the object to his associate. "Now this, this is a dinglehopper."

"A dinglehopper?" Sherlock repeated in his deep baritone voice, "interesting."

"I once met this robin, nice fellow, always making jokes, he once told a entire flock of birds-"

"Mrs. Hudson!" Sherlock quickly put an end to her rambling, she often did that and the merman found it quite annoying, he preferred to get down to the point.

"Any who, he had come by one of these once and told me that Humans use it to straighten their hair." Sherlock snatched it away and tested it by putting it throw his dark wet curls. It went through with ease. They didn't have these sort of things in Atlantica, hair was never give much thought because it never got in the way. Perhaps human hair got in the way of everyday activities and needed attention; why else would they create such things for hair.

After Mrs. Hudson's informative explanations of his objects, Sherlock quickly left before he heard another one of her ramblings about the birds she comes across. Although Mrs. Hudson was the only bird Sherlock knew he could defiantly say he wasn't a fan of the feather creatures. From what Mrs. Hudson said about them, they seemed nothing more than a bunch of bumbling gossipers.

**Sorry it took so long to post this, I don't get much time to do what I want to do. I'll try to update every week.  
Also! I except criticism, so if there is anything you think I need to fix or maybe give a little thought to, let me know :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Deep in a dark cave, far from Atlantica, a man with an evil grin and 8 black tentacle legs giggled as he gazed upon a shining sphere over a coral pot. It was black magic that created this sphere that could be used to spy on anyone, and used to do anything. And everyone in the sea knew that this sort of magic was forbidden; banned by the merpeople. It was the use of this magic that got this half octopus man banished, though it would have been safer for all if he had been killed instead. As the tentacle man looked in to his magic at work he saw a merman swimming toward Atlantic: Sherlock Holmes.

Jim Moriarty had been waiting a long time to get revenge on the former king for being banished in the cold merciless sea. Since the king was dead and Mycroft was the new leader he supposed he would just take his revenge on the former king's sons. It was all too delightful for Jim to exact revenge. The Holmes brothers were much more intelligent than their father; and while revenge on the father was purely revenge, revenge on the sons was mostly for fun. Moriarty looked closely in to the shining sphere and smiled. Sherlock was the key to his plan. He was an easier target then his older brother. Sherlock desired something that only Jim could give him.

"Sally, Anderson," The octopus man called sweetly to his moray eels. "I want you two to keep a close eye on Sherlock Holmes, my plan about to go in to motion." Moriarty cackled with laughter as the two eels slithered away.

:) :) :)

Once Sherlock got back to Atlantica Mycroft spared no time having his little brother escorted to him immediately. Mycroft sat on his large shell throne giving away no emotion and only showing interest in the pointy end of his trident. Greg Lestrade floated by him looking slightly frustrated. The guards pulled Sherlock in to the large throne room and left as fast as they entered leaving the two Holmes brothers and Lestrade alone. The room was silent for a moment. Mycroft looked at Sherlock and Sherlock looked at Mycroft. They then started to stare each other in the eye as if it were some sort of competition. Greg hated seeing the royal family act like this; it was childish and ridiculous. These two brothers are so smart but they act like children. Lestrade finally couldn't take any more; after a few minutes had gone by he cleared his throat loudly. The Holmes brothers dropped their stare and look in the composer's direction as if they forgot he was in the room.

"Sherlock," Mycroft spoke as if speaking to a child, "I know it is hard for you to listen to anything anyone says, but tonight was an important night. I ask you to do one thing: be at the concert and meet the public. Dear brother, why were you not there?"

Sherlock shrugged, "I had better things to do?" Mycroft glared.

"Better things to do?" Greg interjected. "What could possibly be more important than meeting the merpeople you might one day rule?"

"Oh please," scoffed the younger Holmes, "I'll never rule the merpeople, even if Mycroft died I wouldn't." Lestrade looked shocked by this.

"Why not? They are your merpeople!" The composer informed forcefully. "They are the merpeople of Atlantica and you are their prince. They have a right to know their leaders and you have a responsibility by birth to meet their needs!"

"Well, Mycroft can do that just fine without me," Sherlock retorted. "He likes doing all that rubbish."

"That is not the point brother," Mycroft snapped. "It is your duty to follow through with the traditions of our kingdom."

"Your kingdom, I want no part of it," Sherlock affirmed, "There are much more interesting and better things to do than to lead a bunch of mindless drones."

"Mindless drones!" Greg started, Mycroft put up his hand to silence him. Things were getting heated now and the king did not need anyone hearing an argument going on in the throne room. Someone might hear and start a rumor, or worse spread the truth that the price did not care about the merpeople. Mycroft had no desire to let something like that get out,

"Sherlock," the king said calmly and firmly, "there will be another concert and you will be there. Don't make me order you."

The younger Holmes glared and in a low challenging voice said, "I'd like to see you try." He then left without another word.

Mycroft sighed heavily. The likelihood his brother would do anything he asked was slim to none. He'd have to physically force Sherlock to go to the concert and even then the younger Holmes would put up a fight and make a spectacle of himself. It seemed hopeless; the king slumped in his chair trying to think of a way to control his brother.

"It's no use," Greg sighed. "He'll never listen, and having the guards watch him all the time is no use either, he always finds a way to elude them. He's going to continue to leave the city, and who the hell knows what he's getting in to out there."

"Perhaps I need to keep a better eye one him," the king said slowly thinking it out.

"More like a closer eye," Lestrade supported. "You need to get someone trust worthy that can keep a close eye on Sherlock." Mycroft was two steps ahead of the composer at this point.

"That's a good point Greg, thanks for volunteering," the king smirked.

:) :) :)

Lestrade didn't like this at all. Keeping tabs on Sherlock was not in his job description and even worse, if a ton of trained guards can't keep track of one merman, how in the hell was a composer supposed to? He should be writing symphonies not following a head strong prince.

Greg just happened to spot Sherlock leaving the city out of what seemed like pure luck. Sherlock darted as fast as he could out of the city and around a maze of large coral reefs and rocks. Lestrade barely kept up in time to see Sherlock swim up to a large flat round rock that he rolled away to make way through a secret cave entrance. It was no wonder the prince disappeared so easily and could never be found, this place would be impossible to find. The merman drifted up to the cave entrance cautiously and slowly.

"Lestrade." A baritone voice said behind him. Greg whirled around in surprise. His eyes went wide and he clutched his chest as if he were about to have a heart attack. "Mycroft must be getting desperate if he sent you to spy on me."

"Spy on you?" Greg tried to seem relaxed. "I'm not spying; I'm just taking in the sights." Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"Lestrade, I knew you were spying on me before you did," He then went back in to the cave. The composer decided just to follow him since he was now found out and in no hurry to tell the king he's been caught so quickly.

They entered a tall room full of shelves that held strange objects. Greg had never seen these things before which gave him a huge clue as to what they were.

"Sherlock, it is forbidden to collect human things." Greg croaked. If Mycroft knew about this who knows how he would react. The king was always good at keeping calm, but then again he had never dealt with a criminal that was his younger brother. Doing something like this was punishable by banishment. Greg wondered if Mycroft would banish his own brother.

As if Sherlock was reading his mind the prince pointed out, "It is very likely Mycroft would banish me for this, we may be brothers but he cares more for his city than me." Greg doubted this a little because Mycroft cared a lot for Sherlock, but he supposed there was a chance of banishment.

"Sherlock," Greg wanted to plead that maybe Mycroft would understand because the older Holmes always knew his brother was curious. Sherlock's curiosity had always gotten him in to tight spots, like the time Sherlock was almost killed by swarm of jelly fish while trying to capture one for an experiment. At the same time Lestrade wanted to call the prince an idiot for doing something so illegal. He didn't get a chance to say anything because the source of light which was through a hole in the ceiling went dark for a moment as if something passed over it. Sherlock's interest was piqued and he swam out of the cave to find out what it was.

**Hi! Thanks for the reviews. You guys are awesome :D Sorry about the spelling, I try to keep a closer eye on it. Also, idk how well this chapter went; I wrote it without my glasses lol! **


End file.
